Mexico invites telecom equipment firms for broadband network tests

MEXICO CITY Nov 12 (Reuters) - Mexico has invited six
telecom equipment makers to participate in field tests that will
lay the groundwork for the launch of a new national mobile
broadband network, a government minister said on Wednesday.

He said the invitations did not mean all six companies would
be participating in the tests, which will help the government
collect real-time information about a 4G/LTE network in the 700
MHz frequency band.

Mexico's government, which estimates the network will
require an investment of about $10 billion over 10 years, is
aiming to publish the initial terms of the tender to build and
run the network in December and pick a winner in mid-2015.

The government has already received an unsolicited bid for
the project, which Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson helped craft,
sources told Reuters earlier this year.

If the consortium's bid wins, those companies could be key
suppliers of mobile antennae and other gear as well as manage
the network, although they have not signed formal contracts yet,
according to the sources.
(Reporting by Tomas Sarmiento; Additional reporting by
Christine Murray; Editing by Tom Brown)